>> the hour for immediate action is here. it is now. >> a last-minute deal to avoid the fiscal cliff is still possible, says president obama. you are watching al jazeera, live from doha. an indian student who was gang raped the eyes of her injuries in singapore hospital. -- dies of her injuries in singapore hospital. dozens take to the streets to protest the iraqi government. >> in vietnam, we talk to

fishermen about the increasing dangers of working in disputed waters. >> u.s. president barack obama says he still hopes congress can reach agreement to avoid the so- called fiscal cliff. obama met congressional leaders at the white house on friday to discuss a deal. he said the talks were constructive, but did issue a warning on behalf of the american people, demanding congress take action. >> america wonders why it is that in this town, for some reason, you cannot get stuff done in an organized time table, where everything has to wait till the last minute. we are now of the last minute. in the american people are not going to have any patients for a politically self-inflicted wound to our economy. >> the president said he was modestly optimistic that the

january 1 deadline for the fiscal cliff could be averted, but that is contingent on a vote in the senate on a compromise bill, and that will have to get an up or down vote. there is a majority for that, with some tax increases for upper-income people. the question is what level would be acceptable to republicans. more crucial to that is, whatever the senate proposes and passes on to the house, will it be acceptable to the majority of republicans in the house, who control that body? if it is not, we may be having another confrontation, and go past the january 1 deadline, and we could see those tax increases go into effect. again, there is the fallback position. if the pressure on the republicans is great enough, they may have to change their position after january 1. congress can always pass

something retroactively, which would have an effect retroactively. but the damage would be done to the republican image of being a constructive element in these negotiations. >> the indian student whose gang rape sparked mass protest has died in hospital. doctors treating the 23-year-old said she was showing signs of severe organ failure before she died. the high commission in singapore was at the hospital, and spoke to the media shortly after her death. >> in the end, she succumbed to her injuries. the family of fort is shattered by what happened. at the same time, they realize the critical attention was paid to her. in the end, it was the scale of her injuries that were too much

for the medical treatment provided to her to overcome. >> a sad end to the victim's life. tell us about the details coming up from medical sources. >> here, the doctors said her vital signs had been dropping. she had organ failure, damage to her body and brain. she has been in hospital for 10 days. there were daily, up to the our updates on how she was doing. it was very sporadic, up and down. eventually, december 26, they decided to send her to singapore, to a hospital that specializes in organ transplants, has all her organs were failing her. she arrived to singapore. they immediately put her on antibiotics. her vital started dropping. just about 24 hours later, he

got the news that she had passed away. essentially, she was in a terrible condition, and her condition had been deteriorating. obviously, doctors did everything they can. her family want the body flown back to india. the government is working how logistically to bring her back here, and that is another contentious issue. >> bracing for more public anger over this case. >> that is right. since the december 16 attack, and once the incident had been publicized, people have been taking to the streets, saying the government has not been paying enough attention to women's safety and sexual assault. billy itself has the highest number of sexual assaults in the country. the rate happens every 24 minutes. rape is the fastest-growing crime in the country.

it has been largely ignored. this incident resonated with the indian public, bringing them out on the streets, asking for changes in the way policing is done, and the way the government views sexual assault. in general, for women safety -- women's safety. the government is pressing for more protests. they have put in blockades and are making laws that no more than five people can gather. the government is very wary about what is going to happen next. >> russia has invited the officers of the syrian national coalition for parks, and is urging president bashar al-assad to do the same. they say russia must first condemn the president before dialogue him take place. russia says the transitional

government should be put in place, with bashar al-assad staying in power. >> we have already had dialogue in cairo. we expressed readiness to meet with them, and are still ready. as we understand, they do not have any objection regarding the offer to leave. we are against interference from outside parties in syria. we understand we need a ceasefire. we agreed the geneva convention contains the elements to move forward for political settlement. >> in the caesarian title, schilling has devastated large parts of the city, including a large suburbs. the rebels say they have also made gains in eastern syria. fighters say they have captured this oil field. tens of thousands of mainly sunni iraqis turned out to protest the government. they are accusing maliki of

marginalizing sunni leaders. >> a sea of people gathering in the provincial capital. and there is mounting a, and mistrust of the government is -- anger is mounting, and protest of the government is deep. they have been protesting a week and are not going anywhere. >> our enemy once this gathering to be dispersed. this injustice is not only happening on the sunni, but our shia brothers as well. >> among the demands is an end to perceived discrimination. >> this government is targeting sunnis on purpose. they fear no god, and we do not trust them. >> these protesters are very angry. they are raising their demands every day. they are now calling to topple

the government of newry maliki. they want the government to release the prisoners and to end the injustice in this country. they are also calling on shia and kurds to join this protest. so far, the protests have been peaceful, but there are worrying signs that some of these protesters are ready to use their weapons. the protests have spread to others in the areas of iraq. thousands took to the streets. organizers hope this anti- government movement will spread across the country. but the prime minister who says he is not adopting sectarian policies. his government, he says, is pursuing wanted terrorists, not targeting innocent people. maliki warns that threats of new sectarian strife will not succeed.

but if the protests continue, the future of the power-sharing government could be threatened. that, in turn, could put at risk the unity of this country. al jazeera, rahm ". >> the rights group says civilians are being forced from their homes to fight with myanmar,'s army. this is said to show aerial attacks near the border with china. unrest has continued, despite ongoing peace talks with separatist rebels. blocker is -- bloggers in china will no longer be able to comment anonymously. post maybe easily deleted, and information may be sent to authorities. more from hong kong. >> 500 million and growing. the sheer number of internet users and the kind of

information they share has long been a source of anxiety for chinese authorities. new measures mean bloggers will have to provide their real names. service providers are required to take down any posts that break the law, and report them to the authorities. the internet has been responsible for uncovering scandals involving corrupt local officials. the government said it wants to encourage more of this, but it seems only up to a point. >> activities on the internet that have seriously infringed on legal rights of the general public have threatened a state, leading to demands from various parts of society to strengthen regulation of the internet. >> chinese internet users have been the first to criticize the new rules. >> since the internet came into china, the government has been repeatedly imposing restrictive measures. it has even spent billions of

dollars to build a fire wall against overseas sites. they do not want to see any freedom of speech, because it will hurt their vested interest. >> but the government says the rules are long overdue and will protect ordinary citizens. this is seen as an important indicator of the style of the incoming leader. he is credited with a move toward more openness when it comes to his own administration. for the new chinese leadership, controlling the growth of the internet may prove to be one of its toughest challenges, underpinning much of the economic growth it wants to see develop. but the dilemma is trying out.

the would appreciate it. -- they would appreciate it. >> welcome back. when the headlines. the u.s. president said he is modestly optimistic a deal can be reached to stop the economy falling off the fiscal cliff. talks are taking place before tax rises and spending cuts come into effect on january 1. the woman who's a gang rape

sparked mass protest in india has died in hospital. doctors treating the 23-year-old say she was showing signs of severe organ failure before her death. thousands of iraqis are protesting, accusing administration of marginalizing them. the so-called fiscal quiff threatening the u.s. economy. have we are joined by an economics columnist with the washington newspaper. he says without an immediate deal, the discussion will significantly change in the new year. >> i think what we will see from the republicans is much greater flexibility as we get into the new year, if it comes to that. and, instead of voting for a tax increase, they are voting for a tax cut. the same policy, when you are voting for it on january 4, would be a tax cut. today, it would be a tax

increase. it is a weird way of thinking about it, but we are a strange land, in terms of u.s. policy right now. heather is a sense the entire dynamic would change if we get a few days into the new year without a deal. the white house feel they have gone close to as far as they can go in terms of an offer. the have adjusted their proposal on tax increases so they would only go up on those making $400,000 a year, not $250,000 a year. they want real concessions out of the republicans before the agreed to everything. they do not want to negotiate against themselves and throw in the towel when they do not need to. >> what does it mean for the world economy if the u.s. does fall off this fiscal cliff, even if only for a few days? >> if we have learned anything the last few years, it is how connected this economy is. the european crisis has the image of the world economy. the sub from prices in 2008 --

the morgage crisis in 2008 damaged the world economy. it would affect everyone who exports to the united states. this is the last thing the world needs now, given the uneven economic recovery from the crisis the last few years. >> pakistan's taliban later appeared in a video calling for talks with the government. the group is not prepared to lay down its weapons before negotiations begin. >> he is the most wanted man in pakistan. the u.s. government has a five million-dollar bounty on his head. he has not been seen for nearly a year. his message is clear. >> we have never refused negotiations. we believe in all talks that are serious. if the dialogue is frivolous and they ask us to lay down our

arms, this is not serious dialogue. >> the video, handed to the reuters news agency, was shot somewhere in north waziristan, close to the afghan border. a deputy denied persistent rumors among military officials of a split. >> our position of individuals and as an armed group is as strong as ever. we have proved our strength in the northern borders. >> the appearance of the video follows three attacks on in northern city this month alone. the group targeted the military section of the airport. it killed a senior politician and eight other people, and kidnapped 22 provincial security forces. the attacks highlight the pakistani taliban's ability to strike hopeful -- high-profile targets considered well protected. the government has struck peace deals with the taliban had

before. in 2009, it gave the group control of a valley less than 60 miles from the capital. six months later, the military launched an initiative to push them back, and u.s. from strikes continued. washington continues its unmanned air force policy, which often kills civilians. culberson says it wants pakistan to rewrite its laws and constitution to conform with its interpretation of islamic law, in to break ties with the u.s. it is the man is like this that make the prospect of meaningful peace talks slim at best. >> been as well as president sent a christmas message -- venezuela's president sent a christmas message from his hospital bed. the message was played to troops at a seasonal celebration. no new details on hugo torres --

health.s >> i am full of faith in our people and our blessings to how to recover. i have faith in the commitment and loyalty the revolutionary armed forces are showing me and this complicated and difficult time. >> vietnamese fisherman say they will continue to work in disputed waters despite increased hostility from china. the vietnamese are locked in a parked -- a territorial dispute over parts of the south china sea, which vietnam calls the ec. the chinese now say they are entitled to intercept fishing boats for trespassing. >> this is the last piece of vietnamese territory before the depths of the south china sea, which are increasingly murky. hundreds of vietnamese fishing boats head out into a stretch

they call the east seat. -- sea. the islands are disputed between vietnam, china, and taiwan. the skipper knows the dangers. three years ago, he was detained by the chinese, who confiscated his boat. >> in the past, when we were hit by storms, which could shelter of the islands. now, mysterious and boats come to arrest us, and beat us, and pushed us back. >> the chinese occupied the islands, but the vietnamese say there is plenty of historical evidence proving the area belongs to vietnam. like the graves of ancestors who went to the islands to map the area, and claimed them as the enemies in the early 19th century. >> we have been going to the island's many times. during the last trip, there were hit by a typhoon, and their vote was missing. that is why the king at the

time has requested these cribs for people to remember them. >> the docks are crowded with women who come to check the overnight touch. life here largely revolves around farming and fishing, but that could be about to change. whether it be fishing or shipping, this is an important economic zone for all the countries that claim parts of it. but the real money may lie well beneath the water. there is thought to be vast oil and gas reserves, which many countries want to tap into. kofi annan has just one oil refinery, face it -- but vietnam has just one oil refinery, facing the coast. in the meantime, it is mainly fishing that keeps the local economy afloat. the man who make the long trip to the disputed areas say they will not stop. they say it is not just about fishing. it is about national pride and sovereignty.

al jazeera, vietnam. >> more demonstrations demanding peace in the central african republic. women marched through the pacoima and call for negotiations between the government and rebels. a coalition have been advancing toward the city. neighboring countries have been urging them to join peace talks. >> in the south african republic rohanna -- right now, a delegation supported by au, which has moved today to the countryside, to the rebel area, so they could have a dialogue and encourage them to send a delegation. >> rescue teams are searching for survivors of for a boat sank off the coast of guinea bissau. it was steering dozens to the

capital when it went down. at least 22 people are known to have died. nigeria has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. it stands at 20%. it seems women are the most affected. a report from just outside the city. >> a 5 month old baby is strapped to her back, and three others to feed at home. the only thing on her mind is to put food on the table. she is one of dozens, many of whom are widows or have been abandoned by their spouses. the line this is the highway, kilometers outside abuja, breaking rocks to sell to construction sites. >> i suffer a lot. no other work to do. my children cannot go to school if i do not do this work. this is the only work i can do to feed them. and pay school fees. >> each day, they make a 5

kilometer trip to a local quarry. a good day brings in around $3. but for other families making a living from this heartbreaking job, this should not be happening in a country with so many natural resources. this truckload of rocks bears the hopes of many families. the rocks will now be broken into smaller pieces by these women, to be sold to construction sites across nigeria's capital and beyond. but at the back of their mind is the competition they face from machines which turn out tons of the product in a day. this is the matriarch of this colony. after 20 years of hard work, she counts the goodwill of all customers. >> you cannot just fold your arms and wish for things to improve. you have to help yourself. >> nigeria has several agencies

working on supporting small businesses and reducing property, but these agencies need financial support. >> we want to set up a pilot program so the government can be convinced it is only by developing small businesses that this nation can get out of its present predicament. >> this may not be enough for a country with as many as 50 million youths who are unemployed. despite the dangers, he women here continue with this work. they feel lucky to have it. >> from beethoven to the british percussionists, and death musicians have long enjoyed public acclaim-- deaf physicians have long enjoyed public acclaim. starting young is often important. an orchestra is teaching children how to feel the music.

>> clapping a rhythm, the first step in learning music. for most deaf kids, it is the only step they will take, leaving them right on the threshold of the musical world. thanks to a new program with a top-flight orchestra, these hearings-impaired kids can have higher ambitions. this eight-year-old told me he wants to learn the piano, after being exposed to a number of instruments. they are being asked to feel the music. because kids cannot hear sound waves striking their eardrums, and they are invited to enjoy music with a hands-on approach. to feel the vibrating trills and thundering bass of a concert piano. to play the timpani as the

orchestra swoops its way through beethoven. and to try their hand at making musical sounds themselves, something kids may try in earnest. this oboist says even hearing children are not getting enough exposure to music these days, and it is a double it a shame for deaf kids. >> we can bring them out of themselves, bring them self- confidence, which i think is difficult to find, because they can become extremely isolated. >> it may sound quiet, but the playground is of course fall of chatter. the feel the music program says there can be music in a world many think is full of sounds. just listen, and what it touches.

-- and let it touch you. >> silvio berlusconi has agreed to pay $48 millio